Dual Solo Exhibitions by Cody Arnall and Rick Nance to Open at Paducah School of Art and Design

Published on Oct 13, 2025

Two provocative solo exhibitions exploring themes of technology, identity, and human error will open Oct. 23 at the Bill Ford Gallery and the PJC Gallery at Paducah School of Art and Design.

The exhibitions, “Boredom and Failure v. III” by Cody Arnall and “I Am Not a Purist” by Rick Nance, will run concurrently through Dec. 5. Both galleries are located at 9th and Harrison streets in Paducah’s historic downtown. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

An opening reception will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23. Admission to the reception and both exhibitions is free and open to the public.

Arnall, an associate professor of sculpture at Texas Tech University and former instructor at PSAD, presents a body of work shaped by industrial debris, sound, and a grim fascination with environmental decay.

“My art research is preoccupied by human error — actions that lead to unintended outcomes,” Arnall said. “I think a lot about our impending doom, how fragile existence is, and what the future looks like with or without us.”

Through installation, video, light, and found objects, Arnall invites viewers to confront unsettling themes including environmental degradation, violence, and memory. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, he holds a Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University and has exhibited internationally in more than 60 shows.

His solo exhibition will be on view in the Bill Ford Gallery.

In the adjacent PJC Gallery, Paducah-based artist Rick Nance will present “I Am Not a Purist,” a digital art exhibition rooted in the visual imperfections of analog media.

“I attempt to combine elements found in many non-digital technical processes — hatch marks, halftone dots, plate scratches, uneven saturation and even mistakes from earlier reproduction techniques,” Nance said.

Nance’s work blends pop culture, music and classical references into layered digital compositions. With a career spanning from the 1970s to today, his background includes pre-press work in Nashville, freelance illustration and decades as a graphic designer and instructor.

The exhibitions are presented by Paducah School of Art and Design, a division of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

For more information, visit paducahschoolofartanddesign.org or contact PSAD at (270) 534-3901.